Liquid dispensing apparatus



LIQUID DI SPENS ING APPARATUS Filed July 17, 1954 Patented `uly 7, 1936 LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUS John W. Haley, Cranston, R.. I., assignor to The Narragansett Brewing Company,

Cranston,

R. I., a corporation of Rhode Island Application July 17, 1934, Serial No. 735,643

6 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in liquid dispensing apparatus, particularly of a type adapted to dispense liquid from large containers not normally visible by the purchaser. While my invention may be employed in dispensing of any type of liquid, it is particularly adapted for the dispensing in glasses, of malt, or other fermented liquors, such as beers, ales, wines, cider, etc.

Hitherto, in the dispensing of beer or like liquids the container itself is usually not visible to the purchaser, but normally rests in the cellar and has the pipe leading therefrom to the usual tap or die faucet usually mounted so as to be visible to the purchaser on or near the top ofthe usual serving counter or bar.

An object of my invention therefore is to substantially insure that the purchaser of refreshing liquid at a bar, soda fountain, or otherwise from large containers through a tap or faucet is substantially assured Of-getting the trade marked or otherwise branded beverage he desires. To achieve this result, I preferably provide a handle for operating the usual tap valve having trade mark or other brand indicia there- 'on so that the customer may designate the exact tap from .which he desires his beverage drawn and as an additional safeguard to the customer and also to the seller of beverage in the retail establishment, I preferably provide in combination therewith an irremovable seal or tag attached to the pipe leading from the specific dispensing tap on whichv the trade mark or branded insignia is displayed to the barrel and imprint on said seal or tag a like or similar trade mark or designation so that a quick glance in the basement or place where the pipe leading from the tap may be attached to its liquid container, will insure that the correct tap; is 'attached to the right barrel. This supplemental tag or seal also furnishes to the manufacturer a check on whether his trade marked or branded tap is properly connected to his trade marked vor branded liquid container. While any suitable type of a tag may be employed I preferably employ a tag similar to that in use for sealing freight cars, comprising a at disk of moldable metal having two diametric holes therein, a wire securable around the pipe and having the ends thereof projecting through the diametric holes in said disk with said disk then compressed by a suitable tool or die having trade mark indicia thereon to compress said disk tightly around said wires and imprint the trade mark indicia thereon to irremovably secure said wire around said pipe and I preferably provide such an' irremovable trade marked or branded disk in combination with the ,trade marked tap handle on the dispensing counter I preferably employ.

Further features of my invention relate to my inproved handle member for said tap valve detachably securable to the bail or other handle member which normally projects from the tap valve. For this purpose I preferably provide a 10 molded handle member having a base provided with suitable means for securing it to said bail o1' other handle member, preferably an integral neck and a partially spherical gripping and display portion preferably integrally mounted on said neck, including atleast a hemispherical portion on one side thereof for operative gripping in the palm of the hand and a circular preferably countersunk preferably convex socket, preferably of substantially the circumference of said spherical portion on the other side thereof, preferably tilted upwardly relative to the Vertical and having an annular projecting rim and a cooperating convex plate preferably of substantially the size and configuration of said socket having identifying trade mark indicia thereon secured within said socket so that the outer edges thereof are preferably protected by said annular rim.

Further objects of my invention therefore are to provide a handle for tap valves having a hemi-spherical portion for easily gripping by the hand and at the same time having a relatively flat portion which may be moved to a position so that it may be identified from the front of the serving counter and having trade mark or other identifying indicia thereon.

A further object of my invention is to provide said side bearing the trade mark indicia, whether the trade mark indicia be separately engraved on the detachable plate or otherwisel tilted upwardly relatively to the vertical so that the plate or otherwise trade marked or branded portion of said handle may be readily at all times observable by a customer standing in front of the serving counter to identify his desired brand of beverage.

A further object of my invention is to provide a metal or other type of rigid plate which may be secured in the countersunk socket therefor and protected by the annular rim thereof against removal and protecting the lithographed or other matter thereon from most of the handling necessary in operating the tap valve.

' These and such otherobjects of my invention as may hereinafter appear will be best understood from Aa description of an embodiment thereof, such as is shown in the accompanying drawing.

proved tag connected to the pipe end adjacent v to the beer barrel.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the bar shown in Fig. l illustrating in the center a tap valve handle constructed in accordance with my invention and bearing identifying, preferably trade mark l indicia.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the seal I preferably employ prior to being compressed around the pipe end.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the pipe end showing my improved seal or tag in attached position thereon.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view showing my improved tap valve handle attached to the tap.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of my improved tap valve handle and showing underneath it a portion of the usual bail for operating the valve.

In the drawing, wherein like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout, I have shown my invention as applied to a standard type of beer or ale dispensing apparatus includ-- ing the beer tap I0 located adjacent the usual serving counter or bar I2 having the usual rail I4 in frontthereof and connected to the usual beer barrel or liquid container I6. I have shown in Fig. 1 a modern type of such an equipment, including the steel barrel I6 normally stood on end in the cellar, the plug I8 including the pipe 20 (shown in dotted lines) extending to the bottom of the barrel and the annular air inlet pipe 22 discharging at the top of the barrel suitably connected by the pipe 24 to a suitable compression pump (not shown). The usual pipe 26 projects upwardly from said plug I8 and through the serving counter itself, has the coil 28 therein within the ice chamber 30 of said serving counter I2 and has the upper end 32 thereof connected to the tap I0. In most equipments the upper end 32 of the pipe 26 projects inwardly and the tap I0 is connected thereon so as to project inwardly therefrom over the shelf 34 on which the glass 35 is adapted torest while the tap is run. The tap I0 includes the usual spout 36, the valve (not shown) and in most instances a bail 38 for operating the tap valve which terminates in the flat upper end 40 usually having the threaded bolt 42 projecting upwardly therefrom. It is obvious, however, that insofar as my invention is concerned'the tap I0 itself may be mounted on top of the bar I2,` or in any convenient position adjacent the top of said bar I2 so that my improved tap valve handle 44 may be readily observable by a customer standing in front of the bar or serving counter I2.

My invention therefore includes as liquid dispensing apparatus in combination with the liquid container or beer barrel I6 and serving counter or bar I2, the tap I0 having the spout 36 discharging near the counter top I3, the handle 44 for operating-said tap valve having the preferably trade marked indicia 46 thereon, the pipe 26 leading from said tap and having an end 21 detachably securable to a succession of liquid containers I6 bearing the desired identifying andtrade mark indicia and a seal or tag 48 preferably bearing like or similar trade mark indicia 50 connected to said pipe end 21 so that the pipe end may be attached to the containers I6 having trademark indicia only corresponding to the indicia 50 on said tag 43 and the indicia 46 on said tap valve handle. Thus as hitherto explained, in order to insure to the customer that he is getting his desired trademarked or other branded beverage I provide in combination a tap handle.` constructed so as to bear trade mark indicia and an irremovable seal also bearing said trade mark indicia on the pipe detachably connected to the container I6 for the trade marked or otherwise branded liquid.

While my improved tag 48 hay be constructed in any suitable manner, I preferably construct it as follows: I provide a flat disk 52 of moldable metal having the two parallel substantially diametric holes 54 therein. I provide a short wire 21 and tighten the ends 60 by pulling them through said holes 54 to bring the disk 52 immediately adjacent the pipe. I then by means of a suitable compressible die or tool having the trade mark indicia molded therein compress the disk 52 so to completely and compactly squash it around the wires so as to irremovably seal the wires immediately adjacent the pipe end 21 and to compress the disk with the trade mark indicia 58. Thus in use once the seal or tag bearing the trade mark indicia 50 has been attached to the pipe end 21 by the maufacturers agent in the installation, anyone can see by inspection if a pipe end 21 bearing the trade mark indicia 50 is suitably connected to' a beer barrel or container I6 containing the desired trade marked beverage and as the pipe 26 bearing the trade mark indicia 50 vis preferably connected to the tap handle 44 bearing similar or like trade mark indicia 46, it is obvious that my invention provides means to insure to the manufacturer and consumer that the consumer is actually getting the trade marked beverage through the proper dispensing apparatus.

As stated hitherto, further features of my invention relate to my improved type of tap valve that it may be more readily observed by a customer standing in front of the bar I2. My preferred embodiment of tap valve handle 44 is preferably constructed as follows. It preferably includes an integrally molded base 64, preferably integral neck 65 and partially spherical gripping and display portion 66, preferably integrally mounted on said neck 65. The base 64 is preferably provided with the central bolt receiving inverted socket 68 projecting upwardly therein for screwing on said bolt 42. The partially spherical gripping and display portion 66 is integral with said neck 65 and includes at least a hemi-spherical portion 10 on one side thereof for operating or gripping in the palm of the hand or by the fingers and a circular colmtersunk socket 12 preferably convex and preferably of substantially the circumference of the spherical portion 10 on the other side thereof aoeasas preferably tilted as at 1d upwardly relative to the vertical and having the annular projecting rim 16. I preferably suitably attach Within said socket, a plate i8 bearing the preferably trade mark indicia i6 on the outer surface thereof and preferably also convex and preferably of the size and configuration of said socket i2 secured within said socket so that the outer edges of the plate 'i8 are protected by said annular rim 'Z6 exterior of said socket i2 in said portion "m. I also preferably construct said bail 38, base 64 and neck 65 of such a size and so tilt said socket i2 and cooperating plate 18 that said plate 7S and indicia $6 may be readily observed by a customer standing in front of said serving counter i2 as of substantially the size of said tap valve handle as is apparent in Fig. 2. I preferably employ the plate T3, preferably constructed of metal or other suitable material so that the desired trade mark or brand indicia d@ may be suitably lithographed, or otherwise formed thereon and so that the entire surface thereof may be enameled if desired except for the lithographing so as to display an attractive trade mark side of my improved tap valve handle.

It is apparent that if desired the plate 'i8 may be countersunk in the socket 'l2 to be protected by the rim 16 so as to protect the plate on its trade marked face against wear caused by the operation of the handle. If desired the handle M may be merely provided with a flat surface, preferably tilted relative to the vertical so as to be more readily observable in front of the bar, bearing the trade mark indicia thereon without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Occasionally taps are provided in which the spout 3S discharges towards the front of the bar and in this event by means'of suitable washv er means 8@ may my improved tap valve handle 4S be mounted on the bail 38 so that the trade mark face i6 thereof may be visible from the front of the bar.

It is obvious therefore that I have provided certain novel improvements in liquid dispensing apparatus including the combination of a trade marked tap valve handle and a trade marked pipe end at all times secured to said trade marked tap handle, and novel features in the specific construction of the means I employ.

" integral neck and a partially spherical gripping and display portion integrally mounted on said neck, comprising at least a hemi-spherical portion on one side thereof for operative gripping in the palm of the hand, and a circular countersunk convex socket of substantially the circumference of said spherical portion on the other side thereof tilted upwardly relative to the vertical and having an annular projecting rim and a cooperating convex plate having identifying trade mark indicia thereon substantially the size and conguration of said -socket secured therein so that the outer edges thereof are protected by said annular rim.

2. A molded handle member for a tap having a base an integral neck and a partially spherical gripping and display portion integrally mounted on said neck, including a partially spherical portion on one side thereof for operative gripping in the palm of the hand and a circular countersunk socket on the other side thereof tilted upwardly relatively to the vertical and a cooperating plate having identifyingindicia thereon substantially the size and configuration of said socket secured therein.

3. A molded handle member for a tap valve having a base, an integral neck and a partially spherical gripping and display portion integrally mounted on said neck including a partially spherical portion on one side thereof for operative gripping in the palm ofthe hand and a circular countersunk socket'on the other side thereof andI having anannular projecting .rim and a cooperating plate having identifying indicia thereon substantially the size and configuration of said socket secured therein so that the outer edges thereof are protected by said annular rim.

4. A molded handle member for a tap valve having a base an integral neck and a partially spherical gripping and display portion integrally mounted on said neck including at least a hemispherical portion on one side -thereof for operative gripping in the palm of the hand and a circular countersunk socket of substantially the circumference of said spherical portion on the other side thereof tilted' upwardly relative to the vertical and having an annular'projecting rim and a cooperating plate having identifying indicia therein substantially the size and configuration of said socket secured therein so that the outer edges thereof are protected by said annular rim.

5. A molded handle member for a tap valve having a base having a central bolt receiving threaded socket projecting upwardly therein, an

integral neck and a partially spherical gripping and display portion integrally -mounted on said neck including at least a hemi-spherical portion on one side thereof for operative gripping in the palm of the hand and a circular countersunk socket on the other side thereof and a. cooperating plate having identifying indicia therein of substantially the sizeV and configuration of said socket secured therein.

6. A molded handle member for a tap valve having a base having a central bolt receiving threaded socket projecting upwardly therein an integral neck and a partially spherical gripping and display portion integrally mounted on said neck including a partially spherical portion on one side thereof for operative gripping in the palm of the hand and a relatively flat trade mark indicia bearing portion on the other side thereof tilted upwardly relative to the vertical.

v JOI-IN W. HALEY. 

